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Marco Rubio as the anti-Mitt Romney

'I didn’t inherit any money from them,' Rubio said of his parents. | AP Photo

And if you thought you heard a common phrase laced throughout the remarks, you did: “Middle-class” came in for 16 mentions.

Of course, Rubio himself is a living, breathing testament to the GOP’s intent on changing its image as the party of white privilege. As more than one Republican noted, he was the obvious pick to respond to the president. He’s as articulate as any high-level official in the party, is playing a key role on immigration reform and is widely seen as among the GOP’s most formidable 2016 prospects. How many other promising Republicans can give a fluent speech in both Spanish and English?

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Given all that, it was a bit of a risk for Rubio to expose himself even more by delivering his party’s response. Because of the ephemeral nature of the State of the Union ritual, little from the state of the union responses is remembered. If anything, it’s the oddities that are recalled. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s awkward speech comes to mind, as does then-Gov. Tim Kaine’s active eyebrow.

So, years from now, it may ultimately be only Rubio’s quick reach for a bottle of water that sticks out from his performance.

But his delivery showed why he may ultimately have the last laugh about the aqua lunge.

Rubio was smooth throughout the address and, with a closing tribute to the country his parents emigrated to, demonstrated his ability to eloquently summon the country’s promise.

Given how central a role he’s been playing on the issue, the prominence it’s receiving and his references to his Cuban parents and neighbors, it was somewhat odd that Rubio gave immigration reform only three sentences.

But the GOP remains divided on the topic and the would-be presidential candidate is surely conscious of not getting too far out on what some of his 2016 primary candidates will call amnesty.

But his role Tuesday was as symbolic as it was substantive. Rubio has three years to bulk up his policy chops. For now, he and others in the party wanted to make a statement about what they are, what they’re not and how they aspire to be seen between now and the next election.